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Seven bee species added to endangered list

The federal government recently added seven bee species native to Hawaii to the endangered species list. The rule adding the bees goes into effect on Halloween this year.

The news, although not local, is seen as a big deal. Bee colonies have been collapsing around the world. A study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that commercial and private bee keepers lost an estimated 44 percent of their bees from April 2015 to April this year.

In a federal rule published at the end of September, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the seven bee species, along with three other animals and almost 40 plant species, as endangered.

The FWS said in its announcement that “under the Endangered Species Act, a species may warrant protection through listing if it is endangered or threatened throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Listing a species as an endangered or threatened species can only be completed by issuing a rule.”

The rule contains seven yellow-faced bees that are all native to Hawaii, including Hylaeus anthracinus, H. assimulans, H. facilis, H. hilaris, H. kuakea, H. longiceps and H. mana.

The FWS said that adding species to the endangered species list can come about in a number of ways. There are five factors that need to be considered, including loss of habitat, along with “overutilization for commercial, recreational, scientific, or educational purposes; disease or predation; the inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms; or other natural or manmade factors affecting its continued existence.”

The FWS went on to say that the bee species are suffering due to a number of factors, including invasive species, habitat loss and “dumping of nonnative fish and trash into anchialine pools, and manmade structures and artificial lighting.”

Adding the bees to the endangered species list greatly increases the regulatory oversight the bees can benefit from. The rule notice also notes that pressures are unlikely to get better, and that climate change is likely to make things worse.

FWS held a 60-day public comment period on the proposal, and said it received 41 unique comments. FWS also solicited peer-review of the rule from more than two dozen scientists and researchers.

Twenty-one researchers provided comments on the proposal, and “10 peer reviewers stated support for the proposed listing, and 11 were neutral regarding the proposed listing. These peer reviewers generally supported our methodology and conclusions.”

The Hawaii Department of Health said “that managing and controlling wild ungulates (deer, goats, pigs, etc.) is necessary for 95 percent of these proposed plant species, the orangeblack Hawaiian damselfly, and the yellow-faced bees, but that it is also essential to preventing erosion, and, therefore, protecting water quality.”

Public comments were evenly split between support and opposition for the proposal.

“Seven public commenters supported listing of all 49 Hawaiian Islands species. Seven public commenters opposed the listing of the 49 Hawaiian Islands species,” the rule states.

The FWS noted in response to public comments that economic factors cannot be considered when designating an addition to the endangered species list, nor can the location of habitat that would need to be protected.

“However, listing a species as endangered or threatened is based on the species’ biological status; the development of a proposed rule for critical habitat for these species will be completed in a separate rule, and the effects of critical habitat on landowners will be analyzed upon preparation of that proposed rule.”

There are a number of species listed as threatened or endangered in New York state. To read more about threatened species, in New York, visit www.fws.gov/northeast/nyfo/es/NYSpecies.htm. New York does not currently have any bee species listed as endangered, threatened or of special concern.

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